


One With All Other Elements

by liggytheauthoress



Series: Melt the Elements 'Verse [4]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Shot Collection, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2018-10-04 04:10:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10267925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liggytheauthoress/pseuds/liggytheauthoress
Summary: A collection of one-shots set during the Seven's post-battle recovery at Rose Creek.





	1. Varaday - Bedside Vigil

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO. This is NOT the proper sequel fic that I have been talking about. That fic IS COMING, I swear - it's just coming very, very, VERY slowly and I don't know when it will be finished so I thought I'd try to post SOMETHING for you guys. I don't know how often I'll update this - so far this is the only drabble I have - but I'll do my best. And hopefully I will finish the actual sequel sometime in the next decade.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the attention this series has received, I honestly can't believe it. Every comment I get makes my day and I hope I'm able to keep entertaining you for a while.
> 
> As always, dedicated to dutchydoescoke, who has contributed so many ideas to this series and really deserves more credit than I can give them.

It’s a little after six in the evening when Sam comes back to the infirmary. He’s checked on Goody and Billy, both laid up in their hotel room - Sam had insisted on it, knowing they’d want privacy - and on Horne, who is still being tended to by Ms. Frankel, and now he wants to look in on Faraday again. The firebender easily sustained the most damage out of all of them, and Sam knows Faraday is by no means out of the woods yet.

He’s not surprised to find Vasquez still sitting at Faraday’s bedside. He’s also not surprised by the way Vasquez is clutching Faraday’s hand in his own.

Sam pauses in the doorway, frowning at the half-dead man in the bed. It feels wrong, seeing Faraday like this, so completely still and silent. He’s used to Faraday being loud and vibrant and always moving, just like his element, and this version of him is unsettling.

He opens his mouth to say something, since Vasquez doesn’t seem to have noticed his presence yet, when he realizes Vasquez is talking. The waterbender’s voice is barely above a whisper, but Sam’s hearing is sensitive enough for him to make it out.

“You need to wake up soon, _güerito_ ,” Vasquez murmurs, head bowed so that his mouth is only inches from Faraday’s ear. “You need to wake up because I can’t do this without you.”

Sam has seen the way Vasquez and Faraday have interacted, this past week-and-a-half. Seen the way they watch each other when the other isn’t looking, the way they’ve gravitated towards each other since they met. He’d wondered if the blowout over Faraday’s bending had stopped whatever was between them before it even started.

For some reason, he’s glad for this sign that it might not have.

Vasquez is still talking, occasionally lapsing into Spanish in a way that makes Sam think the waterbender isn’t entirely conscious of what he’s even saying.

“I got used to being alone. To not having anyone. But that was before you. I don’t want to go back to how I was before. _No puedo_.” Vasquez bows his head briefly, touching his forehead to Faraday’s hip. “I know I have no right to ask anything of you. Not after what I did. But please, give me this. Wake up. I don’t care if you tell me you never want to see me again, just wake up. Because I can handle being alone as long as I know you’re alive.”

It’s not until Sam hears the words, “ _Te amo_ ,” murmured so softly into Faraday’s ear, that he realizes he’s intruding on something he has no right to listen to. The words being said in this room are meant for one man and one man only - and Sam hopes that Faraday can hear them.

He’ll come back later.

And hopefully, Faraday will too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is interested: if you ever have any requests/questions about this series, or if you just want to flail about the movie (or about anything, or just want to talk in general), my Tumblr is liggytheauthoress.tumblr.com - please stop by, I love getting messages about pretty much anything :)


	2. Varaday - Nightmare, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faraday lets out a long, slow breath and closes his eyes again, leaning into Vasquez’s touch. “Jesus Christ,” he mutters.
> 
> “Bad dream?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because we all know that Faraday is absolutely gonna have nightmares after practically being blown to hell.

He’s in the middle of an empty field, tall grass stretching out in all directions in an endless sea of green and gold. Above him, the sky is completely clear, and there’s a warm breeze drifting across the field.

It should feel relaxing. Peaceful.

It doesn’t.

Maybe it’s the quiet. Everything, even the grass rustling in the wind, is silent, and the only sound to reach his ears is his own heartbeat. It’s pounding in his chest, like he’s just run for miles, the distinct feeling of panic thrumming through his body. He doesn’t know why; he’s completely alone, there’s nothing that could even be considered a threat anywhere in sight.

The change is so gradual he almost doesn’t notice it. The ground beneath his feet starts to tremble, lightly at first, but noticeably building. There’s a faint rumbling, like distant thunder coming closer, even though the sky is still crystal clear.

It escalates into a low salvo of noise as the ground starts to feel like there’s a stampede approaching. The shaking grows so violent that he’s knocked to his knees, hands clapping over his ears as the rumbling becomes almost deafening. He can feel the percussion in his chest, rattling against his ribcage, making his lungs constrict.

And somehow it’s still getting _louder._

He curls in on himself, eyes clenched, fingertips digging into his scalp as he clutches uselessly at his ears. The vibrations running through his body have become piercing, like dozens of bullets ripping through his legs and torso, and there’s a sudden bright light that’s burning his eyes through his closed lids, and dimly he realizes there must be a fire close by because all he can smell is smoke and burning flesh…

_“Joshua!”_

* * *

Faraday jerks awake and immediately panics because he can’t breathe, he can’t breathe and he’s shaking and there’s a sharp throbbing in his side and why can’t he fucking _breathe?_

“Joshua.” There’s that voice again, urgent and concerned, the one that pulled him out of wherever he just was. “ _Güerito_ , you need to breathe, okay? _Cálmese_.”

It takes him a couple of seconds for him to recognize the voice as Vasquez’s, and a couple more to register the gentle hand carding through his hair while the other rubs soothing circles on his side in the exact place the throbbing is.

Somehow that makes the phantom pressure in his chest vanish and he’s inhaling harshly, ignoring the burn in his lungs. Vasquez’s hand moves from his side to just above his heart as the older man murmurs, “Shh, deep breaths, _cariño_.”

Faraday focuses on the familiar touch and forces himself to regulate his breathing, even though his heart is still jackrabbiting away beneath Vasquez’s hand. He manages to open his eyes enough to see Vasquez’s face, hovering only a few inches above his own, drawn tight with worry.

When Vasquez sees his eyes are open, he visibly relaxes a little, shoulders slumping as the tension leaves his body. “There you are. You with me now, _güero?_ ”

The jerky nod Faraday gives him is more reflex than anything. The younger man’s gaze darts around erratically for a bit as he takes in his surroundings and eventually pieces together that he’s still in bed in the infirmary, with Vasquez sitting on the mattress beside him, solid and real and _safe_.

A nightmare. Just a nightmare.

Faraday lets out a long, slow breath and closes his eyes again, leaning into Vasquez’s touch. “Jesus Christ,” he mutters.

“Bad dream?”

Instead of replying, Faraday just hums in response, turning to hide his face in Vasquez’s arm. Vasquez huffs in mild amusement, pressing a kiss to his temple. “It’s all right,” he whispers in Faraday’s ear. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

They stay like that for a long time, and slowly, very slowly, Faraday’s heartbeat returns to normal. When he thinks he’s finally calmed down, he looks up at Vasquez with a hint of embarrassment. “Sorry about that...Don’t usually have nightmares.”

Vasquez scoffs. “You almost _died_ , Joshua. I’d be surprised if you _didn’t_ have any nightmares.” He tugs lightly at Faraday’s curls. “Nothing to be ashamed of. I have them too, sometimes.”

And Faraday can’t help but smile a little at that, because he can’t see Vasquez being comfortable enough to admit that to anyone else but him. He slides over on the mattress, making room for the other man, and Vasquez takes the hint immediately and stretches out on his side, arm winding around Faraday’s middle.

“Thank you,” Faraday says softly, reaching up to cup Vasquez’s face in his palm.

“For what?”

“Just...being here.”

Vasquez smiles, leaning in to brush their lips together. “I’ll always be here. As long as you’ll have me.” He kisses Faraday’s eyelid in an impossibly tender way and adds, “Go back to sleep. I’ll be right here.”

Faraday has already started to drift off, the adrenaline crash completely sapping him of strength. There’s a voice at the back of his head telling him he’s going to be completely mortified by this in the morning, but he ignores it, because he’d much rather be paying attention to the warmth of the body next to his and the puffs of Vasquez’s breath on his cheek.

He knows he’s probably going to have more nights like this, and he’s not looking forward to that at all, but at least Vasquez will be there to chase away the bad dreams afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this was sappy even for me but I can't quite bring myself to feel guilty about it because there is absolutely no evidence in canon that these two WOULDN'T be gigantic saps around each other.
> 
> (admittedly, even if there was, I'd probably still write them like this, but shhh)


	3. Varaday - Nightmare, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Vasquez crosses himself, pleading with every saint he can remember for the deliverance of the three people he loves most in this world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to write this collection in more or less chronological order, but it might flip-flop a bit from here on out, since this chapter is set two weeks after the battle and there are some moments in that time frame that I still want to write - I'll try to make sure the timeline is coherent enough for people.
> 
> Also I feel like I don't say this enough but thank you so much for all the continued attention this series has gotten??? like you guys have no idea how much that means to me.

When he opens his eyes, it’s to flames everywhere.

He’s standing at the fountain from his village, and there’s a circle around him that’s clear, extending a few feet outwards in all directions, but beyond that he sees nothing but fire.

Except directly ahead of him.

It’s not quite the church from his village, but not quite the one in Rose Creek either; instead it’s as though someone took pieces of both and combined them into a surreal facsimile of the two. He notices the trail of bullet holes leading up to the steeple even as he hears his Mamá’s voice calling out for him from inside.

“ _Eduardo! Ayuda!_ ”

He jerks his hands over the fountain, pulling every last drop of water to him and shooting it towards the church in as large a wave as he can manage. It’s not much, but it might just be enough…

The water hits the church, and for one breathless moment he’s sure he sees the flames start to die down, just a bit...only to roar with renewed fury, almost as though they’re laughing at him, as they climb still higher up the sides of the building. There’s no more water in the fountain, not nearly enough moisture in the air for him to draw from, and no way of getting to the church without burning to death himself.

He’s going to have to watch his Mamá and his brother die again.

A shape appears out of the corner of his eye, moving quickly. When he turns his head to look, he recognizes the figure instantly.

Faraday.

The firebender is running towards the church, clearing a path ahead of him with his hands. He stops, just for a moment, at the entrance, turning to meet Vasquez’s eyes, and there’s a look on his face that seems to say, “ _Don’t worry, I’ll fix this_.”

And then he vanishes into the church, leaving Vasquez to wait. And pray. Vasquez crosses himself, pleading with every saint he can remember for the deliverance of the three people he loves most in this world. Surely Faraday has to get them out of there, it’s _Faraday_ , the man whom Lady Luck has never abandoned once.

A few seconds later, the church explodes.

* * *

When Vasquez wakes, it’s to the phantom sound of the explosion still echoing in his ears and the feeling of cool dampness on his cheeks. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to erase the remnants of his nightmare from his mind, and concentrates on just breathing.

“Mmm...Vas?”

The sleepy question coming from beside him makes him wince, because he hadn’t meant to wake Faraday - God knows the firebender still needs as much rest as he can get, even after two weeks. At the same time he’s so, so grateful for the sound of Faraday’s voice, because it proves he’s alive and okay and not buried beneath a pile of burning rubble…

He feels movement as Faraday, a little unsteadily, props himself up on one elbow, and when Vasquez turns to look at him he finds the younger man watching him with furrowed brows. Faraday’s eyes flick to the tear tracks on his cheeks, and he frowns. “You all right?” he asks softly.

Vasquez takes a few moments to respond, not quite trusting his own voice. “ _Solo una pesadilla_.” He swallows. “Nightmare.”

Faraday’s face softens a little, recognition dawning. A muted version of his usual smirk appears on his face. “Ain’t that usually my line?”

“Maybe they decided to give you a rest tonight, _güero_ ,” Vasquez can’t help shooting back, ignoring the waver in his voice.

Faraday shrugs, his hand reaching up to rest on Vasquez’s chest. “You wanna talk about it?”

It’s a familiar ritual, albeit a reversal of the one they’ve developed over the past couple of weeks - getting Faraday to talk about his nightmares is like pulling teeth, but they tend to go away for a few nights if he gets them off his chest instead of bottling everything up. Vasquez knows that’s how Faraday has coped with problems for most of his life, and he’s determined to make sure the firebender never feels like he has to do that again. Not with him.

Maybe it’s time Vasquez took some of his own advice.

He curls into Faraday, resting his head on the pillow so that their noses are brushing, and whispers, “I want to tell you about my family…”


	4. Goodrocks - Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Goody is suddenly more afraid of opening his eyes than he’s ever been. Because he’s alive, by some miracle, that’s clear.
> 
> But that doesn’t mean Billy is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm ashamed it's taken me this long to write proper Goodrocks into this series but at least it's here now? Chronologically, this takes place before the nightmare chapters, but this should be the only deviation from the timeline I make in this fic.

Goodnight Robicheaux is no stranger to waking up feeling like death. After the war, between the nightmares and the endless bottles of whiskey he used to try and stave those nightmares off, he got used to the feeling of having been run over by a train. But it’s never been _this_ bad. This isn’t just exhausted or hung over, this is like he fell off his horse and was dragged over gravel for twenty miles.

It confuses him, because he can’t remember having any nightmares this time, and he hasn’t used alcohol as a coping mechanism for a long time, not since Billy-

 _Billy_.

The memories come rushing back like a volley of musket fire: riding back into Rose Creek screaming about the damned Gatling gun, immediately seeking out Billy in all the chaos, the feeling of rightness in his chest as their eyes met. Billy following him up to the steeple, grinning at Goody when he said, with absolute certainty, he knew the older man would come back. Getting hit the first time, and the hysterical laughter they shared when they realized they were going to die.

The bullets from the Gatling tearing into him, sending him staggering backwards.

The sight of Billy’s body jerking from multiple impacts being the last thing Goody was aware of before everything went black…

Goody is suddenly more afraid of opening his eyes than he’s ever been. Because he’s alive, by some miracle, that’s clear.

But that doesn’t mean Billy is.

If he doesn’t open his eyes, if he just stays here, he doesn’t have to find out, doesn’t have to risk his entire world being taken away from him. But he has to know. He has to.

Taking a deep breath, Goody forces his eyes open and looks around. The first thing he sees is the ceiling of their room in the hotel - not the infirmary, that’s odd - but that detail barely registers as he turns his head and sees a blessedly familiar figure lying in the bed with him, body flush against his own, chest rising and falling with steady, reassuring breaths.

Goody might have a questionable relationship with religion, at best, but right now it’s all he can do to thank God for the sight of Billy Rocks sleeping soundly next to him.

* * *

When Billy wakes, it’s to the feeling of fingers brushing lightly through his hair, and any panic he might have felt vanishes instantly, because he knows that touch.

“Goody,” he breathes, not opening his eyes just yet.

He hears a weak exhale that would probably be a chuckle under normal circumstances. “Right here, _mon cher_.”

Billy pushes his head into Goody’s hand, muttering, “Are we dead then?”

“I don’t believe so. Not yet, at any rate.” Goody tugs at a strand of Billy’s hair. “Now will you open those beautiful eyes for me?”

Billy hardly needs to be asked twice. He complies with the request immediately, and is rewarded with the sight of Goody’s weary but smiling face only inches from his own. He takes a moment to look Goody up and down, his lips turning down at the presence of so many bandages, but he feels the most overwhelming sense of relief wash over him when he realizes Goody is, indeed, alive and mostly in one piece.

They both are.

He brings his gaze back to meet Goody’s and smiles softly. There are so many things running through his mind right now that he doesn’t have the energy to form into coherent thoughts, so Billy says nothing for a moment, just stares at the man he’s woken up next to every day for most of the past ten years.

The memory of the morning of the battle flashes briefly into his mind, and Billy tries to force it away. He doesn’t want to talk about that right now, doesn’t want to think about how it felt to watch Goody walking out of their hotel room and riding away, how it felt to drink himself into a stupor afterwards. He’d known Goody would come back, he had - but that didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt.

Some of what’s going through Billy’s head must show on his face - not that anyone but the man next to him would be able to tell - because Goody’s brows come together and the look in his eyes turns from soft affection to remorse. “Billy…”

“Goody,” Billy says in a warning tone. “Do we have to do this right now?”

“Yes.” Goody clenches his jaw. “I didn’t think I would get the chance, I’m not going to waste any time now that I have it.” He swallows visibly, his hand moving from Billy’s hair to his jaw. “Billy...I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t change what I did, I know that doesn’t entitle me to your forgiveness, but I’m sorry. Being a coward was bad enough, but leaving you behind...If you stay angry with me for the rest of my days, I’ll deserve it.”

Billy considers his answer for a moment. He _had_ been angry, yes. Furious. He’d been tempted to punch Goody in the mouth when the other man said he was leaving, with or without Billy (and that, that had been the part that really hurt - not that Goodnight was leaving, but that he was leaving Billy behind).

But he’s not angry now. Not anymore. Which surprises him a little, to be honest, but almost dying does funny things to a person.

He turns his head so that he can press a kiss to Goody’s palm. “I’m not angry, Goody,” he murmurs. “I was. Very angry. I knew why you were doing it, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.” He shushes away the apology that’s clearly forming on Goody’s lips. “But I’m not angry. Not anymore.” Billy moves his face forward just enough to brush his mouth against the other man’s. “I forgive you.”

The way all the worry melts away from Goody’s face is endearing, if not a little heartbreaking, and Billy smiles a bit. “No more leaving me behind from now on, agreed?” he says quietly, almost hesitantly, because he wasn’t enough to make Goody stay last time, and he doesn’t think he could survive his lover walking out again.

Goody looks him square in the eye, and there’s nothing but honesty in his face when he answers, “Never again, Billy Rocks. I swear on my life. From now on, _I_ go where _you_ go.”

Billy hears the sincerity in Goody’s voice and lets it roll over him. Goodnight Robicheaux is a man of his word, especially where Billy is concerned, and if he’d been worried about Goody leaving before, he isn’t now.

He kisses Goody again, slowly, thoroughly, letting the final dregs of hurt and uncertainty wash away. When they finally pull apart, there’s nothing but relief and love and contentment left.

And Billy actually laughs when the next thing Goody says is, “So since when has Faraday been a goddamn firebender?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have plans for at least three more chapters for this fic, and I'm also open to suggestions - I can't promise I'll get to them but I'll do my best.
> 
> And I know I sound like a broken record at this point but the proper sequel IS COMING. I PROMISE.


	5. Varaday - Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He’s not sure how he missed it - it’s sitting right there on the desk, plain as day, with his name neatly written on the paper.
> 
> Faraday has always been a curious man by nature. And the damn thing’s addressed to him anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I let myself take a nice, long break from writing, but I couldn't stay away from the boys for too long.
> 
> Fair warning, this chapter has not been beta'd as my beta reader is asleep like a sensible person instead of writing fic at four in the morning, so proceed with caution.

Faraday is going stir-crazy.

It’s been seventeen days since the fight - ten since he was declared well enough to be transported back to Vasquez’s room in the hotel - and quite frankly, he almost beginning to wish the damn explosion had killed him. At least it would have been a quick death, as opposed to gradually wasting away from the goddamn boredom.

It’s not so bad when Vasquez is here, but as much as the waterbender hates leaving Faraday’s side, the town isn’t going to put itself back together on its own. Still, Vasquez stops in whenever he can during the day (and Faraday has him all to himself at night, although he hasn’t recovered enough to take advantage of that particular fact), and Faraday gets plenty of other visitors, but no amount of company changes the fact that he’s basically been chained to a goddamn bed for over two weeks.

He’s over the moon when the doctor gives him the go-ahead to start moving around the room a little. Hell, Faraday’s so pleased with the news he even immediately complies with the orders not to over-exert himself too much - he’ll agree to _anything_ that provides a distraction, even if the distraction is little more than pacing back and forth in a cramped hotel room until his leg starts protesting (and that’s an issue he’s trying to avoid processing and dealing with for as long as possible).

It’s during one of these constitutionals that he finds the letter.

He’s not sure how he missed it - it’s sitting right there on the desk, plain as day, with his name neatly written on the paper.

Faraday has always been a curious man by nature. And the damn thing’s addressed to him anyway.

So he only feels mildly sheepish when he limps ( _walks_ , dammit) over to the desk and sits down, carefully unfolding the paper with hands that still aren’t quite steady, even after over two weeks.

He makes it through the first few lines before he feels his throat start to close up.

Another few before there’s a telltale stinging at his eyelids.

By the time he makes it to Vasquez’s scrawled signature, a couple of tears have already escaped and Faraday is fighting the urge to up and walk himself right out of the hotel, doctor’s orders be damned, and scour the town until he finds his waterbender and either hugs the life out of him or kisses him senseless, he’s not sure which.

But Lady Luck is smiling on him today, apparently.

Because just before Faraday can decide that tearing his stitches is a risk he’s willing to take for this, the door opens and Vasquez walks in. “ _Güero,_ you better not have spent the entire afternoon out of bed, you know the doctor said-”

Faraday turns his head as the Vasquez stops in mid-sentence, following Vasquez’s line of sight back to the letter in his hand. He can’t quite pin down the expression on the other man’s face, but he doesn’t want to waste time trying to figure it out, not when opportunity has presented itself so neatly.

He ignores the throbbing in his leg as he stands and steps towards Vasquez, who is in front of him almost immediately, gently grasping his arms in case he loses his footing. “Joshua-”

Faraday cuts him off with a kiss.

* * *

“You were wrong, y’know.”

He’s back in the accursed bed, but for once he doesn’t mind because Vasquez is stretched out next to him, both of them still flushed and slightly breathless after their kissing got just a little out of control.

Vasquez arches an eyebrow in question, and Faraday continues. “About not deserving forgiveness. And about fucking everything up.”

The waterbender sighs, pressing his nose into Faraday’s hair. “That’s debatable.”

“Bullshit. Wasn’t your fault you reacted the way you did.”

“Yes, it was-”

“Hey.” Faraday cups Vasquez’s cheek in his palm and forces him to meet his gaze. “Vas. I don’t blame you, for any of it. I didn’t then. I don’t now.” He leans forward to peck Vasquez on the lips. “But if it makes you feel better, I forgave you a long time ago.”

The furrow in Vasquez’s brows slowly smooths out, and he smiles softly, taking Faraday’s hand in his and kissing his knuckles. “You must admit, I was right about something, _güerito._ ”

Faraday grins. “Oh yeah? What’s that.”

Vasquez moves closer so that their noses are brushing, barely an inch of space between their faces. “You are a good man.” His lips brush Faraday’s as he adds, “And I am _very_ lucky to have met you.”

After that, words give way to touches and caresses. Faraday’s pretty sure this isn’t the last time they’ll talk about this - they’re both way too stubborn for this to have been the end of it, and years of issues don’t just disappear after a couple of talks - but he feels like they’ve still fixed something here, something they both needed.

They’ll get through it. And Faraday’s confident they’ll still be standing side-by-side at the end of it.

Vasquez isn’t the only lucky one here.


	6. Faraday & Goody - PTSD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Believe me, I am intimately acquainted with how you must be feeling right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of people mentioned that they wanted to see Faraday and Goody bonding over their trauma (and okay I wanted it too), so here it is.

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Faraday’s not an idiot. He knew when he’d woken up in the infirmary that he wasn’t going to come away from the battle without a few mental scars to go with his physical ones.

Still, the fact that he’s been more or less okay since then, apart from the nightmares, has been a pleasant surprise. Granted, the nightmares are terrible enough on their own, but they’re nothing he can’t handle, and Vasquez has proved exceptionally skilled at soothing them away. Faraday chalks it up to his almost constant luck and moves on.

In hindsight, he should have known it was too good to be true.

* * *

It’s been almost three weeks since the fight, and the rebuilding of Rose Creek has come a long way, but it’s by no means finished. Vasquez still spends most of his daylight hours helping out wherever he can, which means Faraday has to seek out other people for company.

At least he’s been cleared to walk around a bit more now. He can move around the upstairs of the hotel on his own, and he’s even managed the stairs a few times with help from Vasquez or Sam.

When he’s not stuck in his room or pacing the hallway making a nuisance of himself, Faraday finds himself, more often than not, in Billy and Goody’s room.

He’s glad the kinship he’d felt with them on that first day in Volcano Springs has stayed. He and Goody get along like a house on fire, spending hours playing cards and trading good-natured barbs. Billy doesn’t say much - and half the time he’s out of the room, having disappeared to god knows where - but Faraday’s come to realize there’s a sense of humor under that stoic facade that’s as sharp as Billy’s knives, and he and the airbender have come to enjoy trying to rile each other up.

Today, Billy’s out - the lucky bastard’s healed enough to wander around - so it’s just Faraday and Goody, talking and drinking over their game of cards. Outside, it’s surprisingly dark for so early in the afternoon; there’s been a storm building all day and Faraday guesses it’s about to hit. He doesn’t think much of it beyond that - storms have never bothered him and he’s stuck inside anyway.

Faraday’s in the middle of a particularly raunchy joke when there’s a quiet rumble of thunder in the distance and every muscle in his body tenses up. He’s not even sure why at first, until he remembers what the noise reminds him of.

He stammers through the rest of the punchline, trying to ignore the concerned look on Goody’s face.“You all right, son?” the older man asks, his voice lower than it had been a minute ago, as if he’s afraid anything louder will spook him.

Faraday shrugs off the question with what he hopes is a casual shrug. “I’m fine. Or as fine as I can be with a shit hand like this.” He glares at his cards, hoping it will deter any further inquiries about his wellbeing.

It does.

Until the next rumble of thunder hits, closer this time, louder, and Faraday actually jumps a little bit. He grabs at his leg, hoping to pass it off as a muscle cramp, but he has a feeling Goody isn’t convinced. At least Goody doesn’t say anything.

The weather settles for a bit, and Faraday feels himself calm down a little, able to concentrate on the game again. There’s still a slight ball of anxiety in his gut, but he steadfastly ignores it. It’s just a storm, for God’s sake.

He’s about to win the round when there’s a flash of lightning bright enough to make him blink, followed by a burst of thunder so loud the windows rattle, and then everything goes a bit hazy for a few seconds.

When Faraday comes back to his senses, he finds himself curled in the corner of the bedroom, knees pulled up to his chest, his heart galloping behind his ribs. He doesn’t even remember moving from his chair, how the-

“Faraday?”

He flinches at the voice. When he looks up, he sees Goody, standing over him, brows furrowed in concern.

Shit.

“I’m fine,” Faraday forces out, because he is, he’s _fine_ , dammit. “I just-”

There’s another crack of thunder, and he actually fucking _whimpers_ , curling in on himself even more, despite the pain in his leg and torso.

He can’t bring himself to look at Goody, at the pity that must be in the older man’s face. He feels pathetic, what kind of grown man is scared of thunderstorms? Even if the lightning does remind him of the flash of the dynamite and the thunder is so similar to the noise he remembers drowning him in the field…

There’s a touch on his knee, and he jumps a little, head whipping to the side. Goody has slid down the wall beside him, one of his legs stuck out awkwardly because of his cast, and is watching him with wide, worried eyes.

Faraday sighs, head thumping back against the wall as he closes his eyes in embarrassment. “Sorry,” he mutters. “Don’t know what happened.” He cracks a wry smile that has very little humor in it. “Let’s keep this between us, yeah? Don’t really care for the others knowing I can’t even handle a storm anymore…”

“Faraday, there’s no shame in this.” Goody’s voice is soft, and when Faraday opens his eyes he sees no pity in the other man’s face, none at all.

He sees understanding.

And Faraday remembers seeing Goody freeze up, that first day in Rose Creek. Remembers hearing him muttering to Billy about dreams and owls with a haunted look in his eye, remembers Goody riding out of town the night before the last battle with the ghosts of past battles at his heels.

Goody must somehow be following his line of thought, because he smiles a little. “Believe me, I am intimately acquainted with how you must be feeling right now.”

Somehow that makes the tightness in Faraday’s chest lessen just a bit. He inhales slowly, trying to will his heart back to a normal speed. “Still. Would rather nobody else knew.” He knows Goody won’t judge him for this, but that doesn’t mean the others won’t.

“I respect that. But I promise you that they wouldn’t think less of you, son. Nobody is expecting you to just forget what happened out there.” Goody squeezes his knee. “Would you expect them to, if one of them had been in your place?”

“‘Course not,” Faraday says immediately. “I wouldn’t expect a man to just walk away after getting blown half to hell.”

“Then why do you act like you expect it of yourself?”

Huh.

He hadn’t really thought of that.

“Pride, I guess?” he says after a while. “I don’t...I don’t like feeling weak.”

“Faraday, after the stunt you pulled that day, _nobody_ in this town is going to think of you as weak. And weakness, it’s not something to be ashamed of. It took me a lot of years to learn that.”

There’s an undertone in Goody’s voice that Faraday recognizes after a few seconds: he’s offering his help, trying to do so in a way that won’t make Faraday feel belittled or condescended to.

It’s the most consideration anyone other than Vasquez or Sam has ever shown for Faraday’s feelings, and he feels his throat threaten to close up in something other than panic.

He coughs, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking. “How...What do you do? When it gets like this?”

Goody smiles. “Before or after I met Billy?”

Faraday understands the implication there: don’t push away the ones who care about you. Let them take care of you when you need it.

He’s not used to being taken care of, but he’s willing to try it.

“After,” he says, answering Goody’s smile with one of his own.

“We talk a lot. Sometimes all it takes is the reminder that I’m not there anymore, that he’s here with me.”

Faraday remembers how soothing it is to wake up next to Vasquez whenever he has a nightmare, how quickly the waterbender’s presence calms him down. “I know what you mean.”

“He has opium cigarettes, when I get really bad. We try not to use them unless we have to, but I’ll be damned if they don’t help. If you want, I can give you a couple.”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Faraday winces as another crack of thunder shakes the building. “Anything else?”

“There is one other thing that helps me. I try to distract myself, if I feel things getting bad again. It doesn’t matter how, keeping your mind focused on something is the important part.”

“Hard to do that when I’m stuck in that damn bed for most of the day.”

Goody chuckles. “Well, I have a potential remedy for that, but I’m not sure you’d take to it.”

* * *

When Vasquez finally gets back to their room that evening, he finds Faraday propped up in bed, nose buried in a copy of Thoreau. The firebender looks tired, but mostly all right, which makes Vasquez exhale in relief. He’d worried about how Faraday would fare during the storm, about the state he’d be in by the time Vasquez got back.

“I knew you were bored, but I didn’t think you were _this_ bored,” Vasquez says, unable to help himself. He’s never seen Faraday so much as glance at a book, let alone seem so genuinely immersed in one.

Faraday looks up and glares at him. “I’m a man of hidden depths,” he says flippantly.

Vasquez grins, kicking off his boots before sliding into bed next to him. “Just teasing, _güerito._ ” He rests his chin on Faraday’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re all right. I was worried about you today.”

He feels Faraday tense up a little and presses closer. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asks the younger man.

Faraday shakes his head, putting the book aside so he can burrow further into Vasquez. “Not right now,” he mumbles.

“I’m sorry I left you alone.”

“Wasn’t alone. Goody was there.” Faraday pauses. “He helped. A lot.”

Somehow, Vasquez isn’t surprised. If any of them knows just how to help Faraday through this - and Vasquez knows this isn’t going away anytime soon, if ever - it’s Goody.

He makes a mental note to thank the man, the next time he sees him.

“I assume he’s the one who gave you the book.”

“Why’d you assume that? Maybe I felt like bettering myself intellectually.” When Vasquez snorts in response, Faraday kicks him in the ankle and grumbles, “Fine. Yeah, he gave me the book. Said distracting myself might help.”

“Did he mention any other ways of distracting yourself, _güero?_ ”

Faraday looks up at him and grins. “A few. But there’s one way he didn’t mention that I wouldn’t mind trying right now.”

Vasquez grins back. “Can I help at all?”

“I hope so, since you’re the only one around here I feel like trying it with.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I wouldn’t dream of turning you down.”

“So you’d turn me down otherwise?”

Faraday’s tone is teasing, but Vasquez can’t help being serious just for a moment when he replies, “Never, _querido_.”

* * *

Thoreau is quickly forgotten for the rest of the night.


	7. The Future of the Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yep, he can see how it will all play out, more or less. The disbanding of their little group. Sooner or later it will be just him and Jack - and Vasquez, if his luck holds. He’s made do with much less, that should be more than enough for him, shouldn’t it?
> 
> The funny thing is, it’s a lot easier to live without something when you don’t know what you’re missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, last chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading and commenting on this (and reading and commenting on the entire series, tbh). I hope you'll stick around for more of the boys, because I'm not done with them yet.

It’s been a month since the Battle of Rose Creek, and the town is, for the most part, back to normal. There’s still work to be done, of course, but the bulk of the labor is done, so the Seven feel like the celebratory drink they’re invited to have with Emma and Teddy Q that evening is well earned.

Even Faraday is able to attend, having walked down the stairs and over to the saloon more or less under his own power (albeit with a fussing Mexican mother hen at his elbow every step of the way).

It’s the first time they’ve all been together since before Goody left.

Faraday’s surprised by how much he’s missed it.

It feels a lot like their first night here - a lifetime ago, it seems - only better, somehow. There had been a sense of kinship and camaraderie even then, sure, but nowthere’s something deeper. The type of bond shared by people who have one through the same hardship and come out of it together. Friends aren’t something Faraday is used to having, but as he looks around at everyone’s laughing faces, he’s overwhelmed by the sensation of not only having _one_ friend, but several.

That’s part of why it’s better.

Another part’s the knowledge that all of them, every single man (and woman, Faraday adds as Emma mutters something that makes Teddy flush and Goody howl with laughter) knows exactly who and what Faraday is. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t have to hide. Doesn’t have to worry about being found out and shunned, because they all know already - and they _accept_ him.

And, okay, there’s one more thing that makes this night infinitely better than their first one in town. And that’s the warm steadiness of Vasquez at his side, chairs pulled together so the two men are practically flush against one another. It’s the now-familiar hand that keeps coming to rest on his arm, on the back of his neck; the low voice close to his ear.

Yeah, Faraday is pretty fucking happy about that last part.

He’s certain nothing can dampen his mood, surrounded as he is by laughter and companionship and more than a little booze, but then Teddy, bless his heart, has to go and say something that sobers Faraday up instantly.

“So, I guess y’all will be moving on soon, right?”

The chatter and laughter die down, and Teddy looks like a turtle that wants to crawl back into its shell. Emma nudges him roughly with her elbow. “He didnt mean to sound like we want you to leave,” she says firmly, and Teddy nods in agreement. “It’s just...none of you seems the type to settle down anytime soon. Leastways not in a town like this.”

It dawns on Faraday that they haven’t really discussed what would happen _after_. They’d all been expecting to die in that fight, plans for what would come afterwards had never really been a concern. He has no illusions about that now, though. He knows they’re a mismatched bunch with a truly spectacular array of personality flaws and quirks etween them. Staying together would be a ridiculous, if not outright disastrous, idea.

He can already see it. Red will probably be the first to leave, riding away stoic and silent - he might say goodbye, at least to Sam and Emma, but that will be it. Horne next, unless he decides to stay here with Ms. Frankel, but Faraday doesn’t think that’s likely. The grizzled bear of a man will say goodbye, at least, along with a Bible verse or seven.

Goody and Billy will go then, together, as always. Off to the next town full of suckers who think they’re a match for Goody’s quicksilver tongue and Billy’s quicksilver hands.

Sam will hang around for a while, make absolutely sure he’s done everything he can to help get Rose Creek back on its feet, but Faraday’s can’t see him staying.

As for him and Vasquez?

He has no idea.

They could stay here. Here, where Faraday doesn’t have to pretend to be something he’s not, where Vasquez doesn’t have to worry about the bounty on his head.

But Faraday isn’t one for sitting still, and he doesn’t think Vasquez is either.

That’s assuming the Mexican will even want to stick around him.

Faraday quickly shoves _that_ particular insecurity to the back of his mind to deal with later.

Yep, he can see how it will all play out, more or less. The disbanding of their little group. Sooner or later it will be just him and Jack - and Vasquez, if his luck holds. He’s made do with much less, that should be more than enough for him, shouldn’t it?

The funny thing is, it’s a lot easier to live without something when you don’t know what you’re missing.

He doesn’t realize how into his own head he’s gotten until Vasquez’s hand on his shoulder snaps him back to the present. The waterbender doesn’t say anything when Faraday glances at him, but his expression is eloquent.

_Whatever happens, I’m with you._

It takes all of Faraday’s self-control not to melt into the other man’s touch. He reaches over and squeezes Vasquez’s thigh, and the tight knot of anxiety in his chest loosens some.

Sam is the first to actually say something. “Hadn’t really thought about it much,” he says. “Guess I’ve been waiting to see what everyone else wants.”

Several pairs of eyes turn to meet his, and he shrugs. “I never liked traveling alone. If anybody wanted to ride with me for a while, I wouldn’t mind it.”

The rest of them exchange glances. Goody looks at Billy, who nods, before turning back to Sam. “Billy and I would be honored to travel with you, Sam,” he says. “Did you have anywhere in mind?”

Sam shrugs again. “Not at the moment.” He gives a mischievous grin. “But there’s plenty of other towns out there that could probably use our particular kind of help.” The earthbender looks at Horne. “Horne? What about you?”

“‘In an abundance of counselors there is safety,’” is the reply, which Faraday takes to mean yes. “If the Lord saw fit to bring us all together, I don’t see why we shouldn’t uphold that.”

“Red?”

Red’s face is unreadable, and when he speaks in Comanche his tone doesn’t give any indication of his answer, but it makes Sam’s lips turn up in a way that tells Faraday the kid will probably be sticking around for a while.

Sam finally turns to Faraday and Vasquez. “What about you?”

He’s asking them together, like he already knows he can’t have one without the other. Faraday looks at Vasquez, because he knows _his_ answer, but if it’s not what the waterbender wants…

“I think Faraday and I would get bored here very easily anyway, wouldn’t we, _güero_?” Vasquez remarks, watching Faraday closely for any sign of objection.

Faraday grins, wide and unrestrained, because it’s clear they both want the same thing. He tries to sound aloof and indifferent when he tells Sam, “Lots of saloons out there I haven’t been in yet,” but he’s pretty sure the happiness in his eyes undermines the effect.

“I guess that settles it then,” Sam says, raising his glass as if in toast. “Soon as everyone’s well enough to travel, we go. Together.”

They quickly slip back into the state they were in before, the mood returning to one of cheer and amusement, and Faraday feels the anxiety disappear entirely. Because he has this, he can _keep_ this, and he won’t have to give it up, at least not for a while. Something bubbles up in his chest, warm and bright like his element, and it takes him a few seconds to identify it as the feeling of finally, _finally_ , belonging.


End file.
